


As Time Goes By

by daisyisawriter91



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Benny Centric, M/M, Men of Letters, Men of Letters Bunker, Reminiscing, Wistful, records
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-26
Updated: 2018-06-26
Packaged: 2019-05-28 23:40:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15060326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daisyisawriter91/pseuds/daisyisawriter91
Summary: Benny is a mysterious figure, with a past he doesn't talk about. Until he stumbles upon a place he never thought he'd see again.





	As Time Goes By

Benny sat in the passenger seat of Garth’s hatchback and watched the scenery pass him by, listening with a contented smile on his face to Garth’s rambling.   
The pair were currently headed to Lebanon, Kansas. They’d been summoned by the Winchester brothers for a hunt that needed more than two people. Benny secretly thought they just missed Garth. They hadn’t called for Benny, just Garth. In fact, they had no idea that Benny had even met Garth.  
And what an odd meeting it had been. 

 

_The broom made soothing noises as Benny swept the floor of the diner. It was nice to know that some things, including brooms, hadn’t changed all that much from Benny’s heyday._  
A lot had happened in the past few months. Benny had been killed to rescue Sam Winchester from Purgatory, resurrected for the second time, only to miraculously be made human. It was all thanks to Dean and Castiel. They’d figured out that after he was resurrected, he wouldn’t have had blood in his lifetime. They gave him a vampire cure (they’d somehow acquired the blood of Benny’s maker, a feat that still stumped the former vampire) and since then, he’d resumed a human life in New Orleans, his hometown.  
As Benny swept the dust out from under one of the tables, he heard the bell on the door jingle, signaling someone’s entrance.  
“We’re closed.” Benny said, automatically, not even looking up from his dustpan.   
“I know.” Came an out-of-breath, strained voice. That was odd. Benny turned to look, and saw the strangest sight before him.  
A fairly skinny man, a little over six feet tall, stood in the entrance of the diner. He was covered in sweat and clutching his stomach. Benny could see blood on the man’s shirt, right at the area he was holding for dear life. In the man’s other hand was a machete, also bathed in blood. “Look, I don’t have much time to explain. Vampires are attacking me.” The man said.   
Benny knew he should’ve acted surprised. But with the situation the man was in, it would only waste time that the guy didn’t have.   
Instead, Benny went around behind the counter and pulled out his safety measure. A false bottom in a drawer not even the other employees knew about, housing a nearly identical blade to the one the man was wielding.  
“How far behind were they?” Benny asked. The man appeared surprised that Benny was easily accepting this.  
“Not far. They’ll be here soon.” The man replied. Benny walked to stand by his side.  
“How much time you got before you pass out?” Benny questioned.  
“Twenty minutes, give or take.” He answered. Benny nodded.  
“I’m Benny.”  
“Garth.” 

 

Not long after that, they’d started dating while Garth healed at Benny’s apartment. Benny had never been happier in his life, not even with Andrea. And it was all thanks to the dork driving the hatchback.   
Garth suddenly stopped talking, making Benny look up. Garth was glancing at him from the corner of his eye. “You alright?” Garth asked. Benny smiled and took Garth’s hand.  
“I am. Don’t worry about me, darlin’.” Benny replied.  
“Not possible.” Garth shot back. Benny laughed and released Garth’s hand. “Oh, hang on, we’re here.”   
When Benny looked up, he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. He blinked a few times to make sure he wasn’t seeing things. There was just no way. How could it still be standing, and how could Sam and Dean have found it, of all people?  
The Men of Letters bunker. It had been almost seventy years since Benny had set eyes on it.   
Garth and Benny climbed out of the car and headed towards the door. Garth knocked three times, while Benny touched the door, reverently. However, the door was removed from his touch when it was opened by none other than Dean Winchester.  
“Hey, Garth.” Dean greeted. He hadn’t seen Benny yet, because he was soon enveloped by a Garth hug. “Okay, yeah, hi.” Dean said, awkwardly patting Garth’s back.  
Garth let go and Dean finally saw the other person at the door. “Benny?” Dean asked.  
“Hey, brother.” Benny greeted, still caught up in the bunker. Dean followed his gaze and grinned.  
“I know. Pretty impressive, right?” Dean bragged.   
“You could say that.” Benny mumbled.  
Dean ushered the two of them inside, Benny at the end of the group.  
“Bitchin’.” Garth muttered, making Benny chuckle.  
“Benny?” He heard Sam’s voice from the table in the library. “What are you doing here?” The taller man asked, curiously. Sam had softened to Benny, rightfully so, after the former vampire had rescued him from Purgatory.  
“I’m with Garth.” Benny answered, vaguely. There was something he had to check.  
While Garth got Sam in a hug, Benny went over to the right-hand bookshelf and began to push.   
“Whoa, Benny, what the hell?” Dean demanded. Benny waved his hand in dismissal.   
The bookshelf made an awful squealing sound, something that would’ve nearly killed Benny when he was a vampire, but eventually, it pushed away from the wall just enough for him to make his check. It was still there.  
Garth knelt beside Benny and followed his eyes. Painstakingly carved into the stone walls were the letters B.L. and H.W.  
“Benny, was that…?” Garth didn’t finish the question. Benny nodded, silently, and stood up.  
“Okay, man, what the hell was that?” Sam asked, staring between Benny and Garth, concern on his face. Benny sighed.  
“I s’pose I never formally introduced myself.” Benny held out his hand, ignoring the confused glances of the other three in the room. “Benjamin Lafitte, Man of Letters.” 

 

“Benny, you’re a Man of Letters?” Sam asked, disbelieving.   
“I was.” Benny answered.   
“Why didn’t you tell us?!” Dean demanded.   
“I knew we weren’t around anymore. What would be the point?” Benny argued.  
“Oh, I don’t know, maybe telling us our _grandfather_ was a Man of Letters!” Dean shouted.   
“Dean, cool it.” Garth snapped. The Winchesters looked surprised that Garth had stood up to them. It still surprised Benny, on occasion, how much fire Garth held.  
“No, he’s right. I shoulda told ‘em that much. I knew they were Henry’s blood the minute I met ‘em. No one else is that stubborn.” Benny said, soothingly.  
“Wait, you knew Henry?” Sam asked.  
“Knew him?” Benny began. It was finally time to tell the full truth. “I was his godfather.”   
“Wait, _what_?” Garth exclaimed. He didn’t seem upset, more curious and surprised. Benny didn’t often talk about his time before Purgatory. Too much pain, he always said.  
“It’s true.” Benny insisted. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before. But I really didn’t wanna think about how much of a failure I was. To the order and to Henry.” Benny shook himself out of his depressed state and focused up. “But we can talk about my sob story later. You called Garth here for a reason, right?” 

 

It didn’t take long for the case to wrap up. Garth and Benny helped tremendously clearing out the horde of demons, and both were quite exhausted.  
Garth was still in the shower, cleaning the blood off his skin. Benny had just gotten done with the very same task and was now exploring the achingly familiar bunker. Given that it was dark outside, Benny and Garth would be staying the night, so the former vampire had time.   
Benny stepped into a room he doubted the Winchesters knew existed, flicking on the lights to the room he loved so much. A rec room.  
Benny remembered spending hours with Henry in this very room, watching movies, training, playing word games. Benny taught the kid how to dance in this room, way back when.  
Everything was covered in dust, but it was exactly how he remembered it, with some minor additions from after Benny left. A record player sitting in the corner, a projector hidden away in the shelves, tables with chess and checkers boards, and several other games from around the world tucked away.  
With his handkerchief, Benny dusted off the gramophone and selected a record, one he’d never played before, but one he knew to be Henry’s addition.   
Placing the record on the turn table and settling the needle onto the vinyl, Benny waited for the music to start playing. Much to his relief, time hadn’t distorted the song at all.  
“You must remember this, a kiss is still a kiss…” Frank Sinatra’s vocals drifted lazily through the room as Benny walked through his memories.  
“Benny?” Called a soft voice from the entrance of the room. Benny turned to see Garth, hair still plastered to his head from the shower.  
Benny didn’t answer, he just gestured for Garth to step into the room. Garth did, and Benny put his arm around the other man’s waist, beginning to dance, using his other hand to grab Garth’s hand.  
“I watched Casablanca once, a week after it came out.” Benny began. Garth didn’t comment, just listened. “I stole a film roll because I couldn’t afford the extra cost to go to the movies.”  
“Criminal.” Garth teased. Benny smiled, but pressed on.  
“I took it back here and I watched it with Henry. I made us popcorn and we sat too close to the screen to hear it. We had to keep it quiet so no one would find us. After that, we played chess until he fell asleep at the board. I shipped out to Germany the next day.” Benny said.  
“Wait, this was-?” Garth started.  
“1942. I was heading out to Germany to help with the Judah Initiative. I never made it past New York. My squadron were attacked by vampires, and, well…you know the end of that story. But I’d still find myself singing this song from time to time. I never forgot Henry.” Benny finished. Garth didn’t comment, only rested his head (albeit awkwardly, due to his height) on Benny’s shoulder.  
“Do you wish it had turned out differently?” Garth asked, quietly.  
“Sometimes. But if it had, I never woulda met you. And I wouldn’t trade that.”  
“Sap.” Garth quipped.  
“You love it.” Benny countered.  
“I do.”   
A silence passed over them as they danced to the music. It was comfortable, and words were unnecessary. Benny thought about Henry, who he loved like his own son. And Benny thought about Dean and Sam, who he should’ve met as children.  
But above all, Benny thought about Garth, the miraculous man dancing with him. He may have felt like a man out of time, but he didn’t mind so much with Garth at his side.


End file.
